Trolley-switch



M m m I. J. RUDDICK.

TROLLEY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR,14, 1919.

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1,336,485. P tente Apr. 13,19 0.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I I K2913.

citizen of the United JOHN J. RUDDICK, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROLLEY-SWITCH.

Application filed March 14, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. Rnnnron, a States, residing at Newton, county of Middlesex, State of Mas sachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Trolley-Switches, of which the following description, in connection with the accent panying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to trolley switches, such as are used in block signal systems as sociated with electric car lines. These trolley switches are arranged tobe actuated by the trolley wheel of an electric car and are designed to set in operation a signal-actuating circuit.

It is desirable that the parts by which the contacts are closed should be of relatively light weight so that they will be easily actuated by the trolley as it passes along the trolley wire. It is also desirable that when the contacts have been closed by a passing trolley they should remain closed for a sufficient length of time to insure the proper operation of the signal apparatus, regardless of the speed at which the trolley is moving.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a novel trolley switch having both of these characteristics, and in order to give an understanding of the invention, a selected embodiment thereof will first be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a trolley switch embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the casing removed;

Figs. 4: and 5 are sectional views showing the different positions of the parts during the operation of the switch.

The trolley switch is supported on a suit able frame 1 which has associated therewith a shoe 2 to which the trolley wire 3 is secured in usual manner.

The two contacts of thetrolley switch are shown at at and 5,and in the preferred embodiment of my, invention, I will make the contact 1 in the form of a stationary contact, and the contact 5 in the form of a movable contact capable of moving toward and from the stationary contact. The contact 4 is shown as carried on an insulating block 6 which-is supported by the ;fra1ne 1 and is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920. Serial No. 282,670.

connected to the signal wire 7. The movable contact 5 is pivoted at 8 on a carrier or support 9 which in turn is pivoted to the frame 1 at 10. The carrier or support 9 has a spring 11 connected thereto which tends normally to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the contact 5 is separated from the contact 4. In order to close the contacts byv the movement of a trolley, I have provided an actuator 12 which is pivotally hung from a pin or shaft 13 carried by the frame, said actuator being forked at its lower end and straddling or embracing the shoe 2 so that as the trolley wheel passes along the portion of the trolley wire beneath the shoe 2, the flanges of the wheel will engage the actuator and swing the latter about its pivot 13. This actuator is formed with a shoulder 14lsituated to engage a roll 15 carried by the support or car rier 9 as the actuator is swung toward the right, Fig. l. The engagement of the shoulder 1% with the roll 15 will swing the support 9 clockwise about its pivot 10 thereby moving the contact 5 into engagement with the fixed contact 4:- Thus when a trolley wheel passes to the right along the trolley wire, the actuator will be operated thereby to close the contacts. Since the movable contact 5 is electrically connected with the actuator 12 through the frame 1, the closing of the contacts will thus connect electrically the circuit wire 7 -with the feed or trolley wire 3.

The carrier 9, contact 5 and actuator 12 may be made relatively light so that they can be easily operated by movement of the trolley.

If the trolley is moving rapidly, it will give the actuator 12 a hammer-like blow which will throw the contact 5 forwardly into engagement with the contact 4 with a quick movement and unless some means are provided for retaining the contacts 4 and closed for a certain length of time, there will be danger that they will separate before the signalactuating mechanism could be properly operated. In order to retain the contacts closed for a suflicient length of time, regardless of the speed at which the trolley is moving, I propose to employ an inertia device which becomes automatically coupled to the movable contact when the latter is thrown into closed relation with the fixed contact, the inertia of said inertia device operatingtohold the contacts closed shown in Fig. 1. The carrier or for the desired length of time. The inertia device is shown as a disk 16 loosely mounted on a pin or stud 17 carried by the frame, said disk being constructed so that it is heavier on one side than on the other whereby it will naturally assume the position support 9 has a pawl 18 pivoted thereto at 19 and the inertia disk 16 has a pin 20 extending there from on which the pawl normally rests. The pawl is acted upon by a spring 21 which holds it yieldingly in engagement with the pin 20. When the carrier 9 is operated to throw the mwablc contact 5 into engagement with the fiXed contact 1, as shown in Fig. 1, the pawl is carried into a position so that the shoulder. 22 thereon will engage the pin 20 thereby coupling the inertia disk to the carrier 9. When the trolley passes out from under the actuator 12 and the latter swings back to its vertical position, the spring 11 tends to return the carrier 9 to its normal position shown in Fig. 1, thus separating the contacts a and 5, but since the carrier is coupled to the disk 16 by the latch or pawl 18, the return movement of the carrier operates to turn the disk 16 from the position shown in Fig. a tothat shown in Fig. 5. The inertia of the disk 16 retards this returning movement and thus prolongs the length of time which the contacts a and 5 are in engagement.

\Vhen the carrier 9 reaches the position shown in Fig. 5, the engagement of the latch or pawl 18 with the shaft 17 will disengage the pawl from the pin 20, thus releasing the disk and allowing it to return to its initial position by gravity.

It will be remembered that the contact 5 is pivoted to the carrier 9 and the construc tion is such that said contact engages the contact 4 before the carrier 9 has reached the limit of its forward movement. I-Ience during the latter part of the forward movement of said carrier 9, said carrier has a swinging movement relative to the contact 5 so that at the end of the forward movement said contact and carrier have the relative position shown in Fig. 4. The contact 5 is acted upon by a suitable spring 23 which is placed under increased tension during the latter forward movement of the carrier 9.

It will thus be seen that the movable con tact is entirely free from the inertia device during the forward movement into engagement with the fixed. contact, and there is, therefore, nothing to retard the free closing movement of the contacts. It will also be seen that soon as the carrier 9 reaches the forward limit of its movement it becomes automatically connected to the inertia device which then operates to. retard the return or opening movement of the contacts. 5 I. have also provided herein cushioning devices: with which the actuator 12 engages and which serve to cushion the swinging movement thereof. These cushioning devices are shown at 24 and comprise weighted members pivotally secured to the frame at 25 and situated to be engaged by the free end of the contactor as it swings into a horizontal position- Each cushioning device is provided with the portion 26 which normally engages the wall 2-7 of the frame 1. lVhen the actuator 12 is swung into its horizontal position in either direction, it will engage one or the other of the cushioning devices and raise the latter about its pivot 25 until it engages the portion 28 of the frame. The weight of these cushioning devices 2 1 serves to retard and cushion the movement of the actuator 12 as it reaches the extreme limit of its movement in either direction.

32 indicates a cover which incloses the operative parts of the trolley switch. This cover is shown as hinged to the frame 1 at 30, said cover being locked to the frame by a suitable lock 31.

I claim:

1. In a trolley switch, the combination with two contacts, of trolley-actuated means to close said contacts, automatically-operative means to open the contacts, fan inertia device, and means to connect said inertia device to said automatically-operative means after the contacts are closed whereby said inertia device retards the opening of the contacts.

2. In a trolley switch, the combination with a fixed contact and a movable contact, of trolley-actuated means to close the conta cts, automaticall -operative means acting on the movable contact to separate said contacts, an inertia device, and means to connect the inertia device to the movable contact after the contacts are closed whereby said inertia device retards the separating movement of said movable contact. v

3. In a trolley switch, the combination with a fixed contact, of a movable contact, trolley-actuated means to close the contacts, a spring tending normally to separate the contacts, a rotatable inertia device, and means to connect said inertia device to the movable contact'after the contacts are closed whereby the inertia of the inertia device'will retard the opening movement of the movable contact.

4. In a trolley switch, the combination with a fixed contact, of a pivotally-mounted carrier, a movable contact mounted thereon, a trolley-operated actuator adapted by its movement to turn the carrier and thereby close the contacts, a return spring connected to said carrier, a movable inertia device, and a latch to connect said inertia. device to said carrier after the contacts are closed.

5. In a. trolley switch, the combination of trolley-actuated means to close the contacts, automatically-operative means acting on the movable contact to separate said contacts, an inertia device, and means to connect the inertia device to the movable contact after the contacts are closed whereby said inertia device retards the separating movement of said movable contact, said inertia device becoming automatically disconnected from the movable contact after the latter has been separated from the fixed contact.

6. In a trolley switch, the combination with a fixed contact, of a pivotally-mounted carrier, a movable contact mounted thereon, a trolley-operated actuator adapted by its movement to turn the carrier and thereby close the contacts, a return spring connected to said carrier, a movable inertia device, and a latch to connect said inertia device to said carrier after the contacts are closed, saidlatch becoming automatically disconnected from the inertia device during the return movement of the carrier.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN Jv RUDDICK. 

